WHO WE ARE
Some of us are year round Floridians
Some of us are seasonal
Some of us are people of color
Some are LGBTIA
Some are divorced
Some of our priests are women and some are men, some are married and some are not
We are the Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community.
Although most of us have roots in the Roman Catholic tradition, we value different backgrounds, affiliations, orientations and persuasions.
We are Catholics who embrace our diversity, work for equality and the empowerment of the common people. Our liturgy is open to all. We, every day people, alongside our priests share readings and homily interpretations, bless the bread and wine and offer it to each other. Just as the early Christians did. We believe that God is pure spirit, neither male nor female so we use both feminine and male terms to enrich our liturgy, and to make all feel worthy.
WHY WE CHOOSE TO BE CATHOLIC
The word catholic means all-embracing, open-minded, unprejudiced and tolerant. Those are the values we uphold individually and as a community.
Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community was founded by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan, who, also founded the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (ARCWP). ARCWP and Mary Mother of Jesus were initiated as a renewal in the Roman Catholic Church. Our emphasis is to restore a just balance between men and women in the Church, particularly as pertaining to women’s ordination to the priesthood through the Roman Catholic Womenpriest movement (2002).
In his new book The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr writes
“you can only reform things long term by unlocking them from inside ” by their own chosen authoritative sources. Outsiders have little authority or ability to reform anything. . . . We need to reconstruct and not just continue to deconstruct.”
We believe that we are all God’s Beloved sent here to be God’s hands, feet, mind and heart and to continue Jesus’ work.
“Sometimes a gift is given in life that is beyond anything you could have imagined or prayed for. Finding MMOJ is just such a blessing. .”Karen